Jump to navigation

Vol 64 No 25

Published 14th December 2023

The 28th UN Conference of the Parties Climate Summit – a users' guide

PREVIEW

How to navigate the facts, the figures and the declarations | By Tim Concannon and Jerry Sam in Accra and Caroline Chebet in Nairobi

The UN's COP summits are a marathon – even by the standards of other international summits organised by the UN, the IMF and sundry regional organisations.

This year's summit – COP28 in Dubai – is already an epic in terms of the over 90,000 people that have registered as delegates.

It opened on 30 November and is due to run until at least midnight on 16 December when the hosts, the United Arab Emirates, will release the final communiqué and roster of financial pledges and declarations of policy actions from the nearly 200 nations participating.

This dossier offers a point by point guide to the key issues under discussion – from the debate over the Loss and Damage Fund and the need for a global carbon tax to whether the final declaration will include an agreement to 'phase-down'  (as the hydrocarbon economies want) or 'phase out' (as the climate activists want) of fossil fuel production.

For a detailed guide to the facts, the figures and the declarations, read our Special Report here: The 28th UN Conference of the Parties Climate Summit – a users' guide

Copyright © Africa Confidential 2026
https://www.africa-confidential.com

Prepared for Free Article on 20/06/2026 at 06:11. Authorized users may download, save, and print articles for their own use, but may not further disseminate these articles in their electronic form without express written permission from Africa Confidential / Asempa Limited. Contact subscriptions@africa-confidential.com.

Related Articles

Warming up in Cape Town

African governments are teaming up with Asia and Latin America to press rich countries for a legally binding pact on carbon emissions

In a challenge to the rich economies of the West, South Africa, Brazil, China and India are calling for a legally binding global agreement to limit climate change....

Climate of scepticism

Expectations are low ahead of next week's COP27 climate change summit in Sharm el Sheikh. Although the African Union common position has moved away from an early draft...

Stalemate on climate finance talks irks African negotiators

After technical negotiations over green transition funds in Bonn hit a deadlock, talks are to resume at the UN General Assembly in September

Despite hopes of progress on climate finance for Africa at recent UN negotiations, an impasse emerged at the interim SB60 meeting held in Bonn, Germany from 3 to...

ICJ climate ruling opens floodgates for billions in pollution payouts

The UN court’s opinion defining greenhouse gas emissions as ‘internationally wrongful acts’ argues for climate finance to become a legal obligation for the main polluting countries

The ruling by the UN’s top court that countries may be held legally accountable for their greenhouse gas emissions and the environmental damage they cause could help reshape...

Who will fund the new fund?

With two months until the November deadline set at last year's COP climate change summit for the 'loss and damage' fund compensating victims of climate change to be...


Stories by country

Footer Map